Eric von Schmidt, dead

A guy I knew some, Eric von Schmidt, just died. Singer, guitarist, songwriter, writer, illustrator, painter... I don't much feel like writing about him; my moms knew him too, and she died last fall.

I will say this, though. Among several lasting compositions, Eric wrote one of the great strike songs in the English language, "Joshua Gone Barbados." His version is probably the best, but if you can't find it, or are greedy, check out Tom Rush's, the classic.

Which leads me naturally away from death. If you are near one of the places where Mat Callahan (ex-Prairie Fire, ex-Looters) is performing next month, March, on tour from Switzerland, you may have a chance to hear another of the all-time great strike tunes, "Come On, Virgie," performed by its cowriter. After some aggressive lobbying, Mat said maybe he'll try and work it up, first time in decades. All of his work has a revolutionary flava, so catch him no matter what.

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